SHERIFF PROMISES MORE DEPUTY PATROLS IN DELTONA

Residents' complaints of insufficient law enforcement have prompted the sheriff's department to step up traffic surveillance, officials say.

Frank Wutz, member of the Deltona Municipal Service District Advisory Board, said residents have worried for a long time about a shortage of deputies.

"Maybe we're getting some action. They may not be on the streets all the time but if they're there some of the time then people may slow down all of the time," Wutz said.

Lt. Leonard Davis said periodic sweeps on Deltona roads will increase soon. Davis said, however, he does not know on which streets the patrols and speed checks will focus.

Roy Schleicher, the county council member representing Deltona, said Deltona appears to lack patrols. Statistics show, however, that crime in the community is no worse than others in the county, Schleicher said.

The sheriff's department usually has one or two cars patrolling Deltona at any give time, he said. They are supplemented by an extra officer paid for by the Deltona Municipal Services District. The deputies cover approximately 26,000 residents.

Wutz said that some critics point to DeLand, with a population of about 18,000 with a police force of 41 full-time sworn officers. Although Deltona does not have nearly that many officers, it does make use of sheriff's department detectives, dispatchers and staff.

For the next fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1, the sheriff's department is requesting nearly $217,000, an 18 percent budget increase over this year. Jeffrey List, the county liaison to Deltona, said this increase will keep existing services and will not pay for increased patrols.

The spot-checks do not represent an increased full-time commitment to Deltona, Wutz said. Instead, deputy sheriffs will just try to make a presence in the community, he said.